As public companies prepare their annual reports to reflect an unprecedented 2020, many are doing so mindful that investors and stakeholders continue to demand robust environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) disclosures...
President Biden’s supply chain executive order is a significant risk management mandate. It’s also a signal that the Biden Administration is focused on systemic risks...
The time has come for “activist stewardship.” Simply put, this means putting the skills and techniques of activist hedge funds to work where a company’s financial performance is deteriorating and traditional engagement tools have failed to produce meaningful results to protect value and mitigate long-term risks, including recognizing the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks...
Most corporate directors are familiar with the term “glass ceiling”—as they should be. Fewer directors are familiar with the term “glass cliff”— but they should be. For their ability to recognize the distinction between the two, and respond to the related challenges, will be critical to a company’s efforts to assure gender equality within its workforce...
Mandy Ginsberg, member of the board of directors of Uber and thredUP, share her career journey of CEO to board of directors...
Activist investor activity slumped in 2020 as the pandemic rattled markets, managements, and investors. Globally, 652 companies were subject to activist demands through the first three quarters of 2020—the slowest pace since 2015...
In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, companies promised to make their boards more diverse. FangXiaNuo via Getty Images This story is part of a group of stories called Uncovering and explaining how our digital world is changing — and changing us...
The death of George Floyd and the protests that followed have added a sense of urgency to credit unions’ efforts to diversify their boards of directors. But while the industry has made some progress, experts said more work remains to be done...
Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. 's new finance chief is working to change investors' view of the business after years of activist pressure, which abated in January when Carl Icahn —once its largest shareholder—sold a large chunk of his stake and relinquished his board seats. ... Shares rose 1.8% over the course of 2020...
The number of stockholder rights plans (also known as “poison pills”) adopted in 2020 significantly increased compared to prior years...
Based on nearly 30 years of experience as Nasdaq’s Corporate Secretary, Joan Conley shares KPIs that are important for corporate governance teams in their role supporting the organization’s corporate governance, strategy, and purpose...
The race to find COVID-19 vaccines is still far from over, yet there is cautious optimism that we will gradually return to normality during 2021. It is however already evident that companies with robust governance and a responsible approach to business have continued to thrive...
The duties imposed on compensation committees of publicly traded companies have evolved and grown over time. This seventh edition of the Compensation Committee Handbook from the lawyers of the Executive Compensation and Benefits group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates is intended to help compensation committee members understand and comply with the duties imposed upon them...
We live in an age of competing economic narratives. President Biden tells the story that a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill will help the economy, while Republicans tell the story that the bill is too big and will cause inflation...
In March of 2017, Jeff Immelt was in his 16th year as CEO of General Electric and — at least in his head — he was remaking the iconic conglomerate into the very model of the modern industrial company. He was expanding the old — GE’s historic footprint in power and aviation — while embracing a new world of clean energy and software analytics...
It’s surprising how often we see professional services firms get in their own way when it comes to driving new business and deepening partnerships with existing clients. A primary culprit for this is outdated compensation practices that reward individuals over the team. This approach may have worked well 10 or 20 years ago but is no longer aligned with the need for services firms to harness all of their internal resources to better serve their increasingly global and complex clientele...
With the 2021 proxy season underway, a new analysis reveals some telling findings as to what impact proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services will have on say-on-pay concerning executive compensation actions made in response to the coronavirus pandemic...
On October 14, 2020, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) released for comment its proposed voting policy changes to be applied to shareholder meetings taking place on or after February 1, 2021...
As the Biden Administration settles in and begins to appoint its designees to key executive and administrative agencies, a series of policy objectives are coming into focus. Chief among them is expanded attention and regulation in the ESG space regarding environmental, social and governance issues at American businesses...
Given that many organizations are failing the stakeholder capitalism test, bold steps are needed to turn capitalism into a more compassionate economic system...
Some companies are reluctant to let lower-level managers become outside directors, adding a systemic impediment to the push...
Last Friday afternoon, moments after the resignation of Yoshiro Mori as president of the Tokyo Olympics committee, a board member of one of the games’ largest sponsor companies texted me a terse Japanese proverb: “A lid has been placed on the thing that stinks...
Before joining a board of directors, business leaders should consider how they'll fit into the existing structure...
